Need New Boots (for release bindings)

[oxenboxin]

Hey all,

I ended last season (my first on skiboards) by wrecking my boots (and pulling a groin muscle in the process). It happened as I was falling off of a box when one of the clips on my boot caught on the side of the box, bending it all to hell as I fell backwards. (By the way, it kinda sucks to dangle sorta upside-down from your broken boot as you try to free yourself without assistance and despite your now strained groin muscle. "Does this even happen to other people?", I found myself asking myself as I hung there, feeling my groin slowly tearing... :confused:)

Anyway, I need some boots!

What kind of boots work well for all-mountain skiboarding? Will a freestyle boot keep me from getting caught up on terrain features?

What should I be looking for?

[tyberesk]

Hey all,

I ended last season (my first on skiboards) by wrecking my boots (and pulling a groin muscle in the process). It happened as I was falling off of a box when one of the clips on my boot caught on the side of the box, bending it all to hell as I fell backwards. (By the way, it kinda sucks to dangle sorta upside-down from your broken boot as you try to free yourself without assistance and despite your now strained groin muscle. "Does this even happen to other people?", I found myself asking myself as I hung there, feeling my groin slowly tearing... :confused:)

Anyway, I need some boots!

What kind of boots work well for all-mountain skiboarding? Will a freestyle boot keep me from getting caught up on terrain features?

What should I be looking for?

well that is a freak accident dude, the chances of that happen were 1 in a million...and you were that one haha. Bootwise, i think you would be best going for some freestyle ski boots. I have heard good things from people about some Salomon SPKs or Dalbello Krypton Rampages. I think mark rides the kryptons, but i mean there are tons of great freestyle skiboots, and it really depends on your price range. You would probably be best trying some on at a shop and getting fitted there....and when you find what you like either buy them at the shop or go home and order them online

[SkaFreak]

Just a side note, please DON'T go to a local store, try on boots, and then go buy the exact same model online unless the store does not have your size. The higher prices in local stores are because of the customer service they give you, such as having bootfitters there to help you find the right size. If you're going to buy online, find a slightly different model that they don't carry, or a model that they don't have your size in. Basically you end up using the services of your local store without any compensation to them, and doing so will eventually lead to them going out of buisiness. Plus if you get to know your local store, they're likely to match any deal you can find online anyway. They're all ski bums just like the rest of us and understand the search for the best gear at the best prices.

[oxenboxin]

well that is a freak accident dude, the chances of that happen were 1 in a million...and you were that one haha. Bootwise, i think you would be best going for some freestyle ski boots. I have heard good things from people about some Salomon SPKs or Dalbello Krypton Rampages. I think mark rides the kryptons, but i mean there are tons of great freestyle skiboots, and it really depends on your price range. You would probably be best trying some on at a shop and getting fitted there....and when you find what you like either buy them at the shop or go home and order them online

Yeah, it felt like a pretty freak accident. I think it was a badly designed box with a quarter inch gap along the sides just waiting for all sorts of stuff to get stuck in. But, I sure felt like a dumbass hanging there! Hahaha Just when I was starting to gain a little confidence!

Thanks for the suggestions, Ty. I'll check them out. I'm with skafreak, though, I try to support the local shops, especially with stuff that needs to be fitted.

Any other opinions on boots?

[kirk]

Just a side note, please DON'T go to a local store, try on boots, and then go buy the exact same model online unless the store does not have your size.

or... if your local shop gives you shitty service, rags on you for fruit booting, and jacks up the price on everything to take advantage of the moms buying kids things for christmas... then definately do that.

I've only been to one ski shop that I haven't wanted to be shut down...

You gotta consider if their service is worth the some times several hundred dolars in price diference...

[SkaFreak]

I guess the stores out your way aren't the same as they are out here. Out here if they know you they'll hook you up with deals, and I've never taken any crap for skiboards in a shop. I've had quite a few questions asked actually.

[kirk]

I guess the stores out your way aren't the same as they are out here. Out here if they know you they'll hook you up with deals, and I've never taken any crap for skiboards in a shop. I've had quite a few questions asked actually.

Yeah, I think it might be the east coast v. west coast mentality... Most the ski shops I see over this way cater to the rich families who ski once a year, and they could care less about the little guys who ask prices before buying.

In fact, most the ski shops in Pittsburgh become tennis and patio furniture stores in the summer, making it impossible to even look for off season deals.

[Greco]

Yeah, I think it might be the east coast v. west coast mentality... Most the ski shops I see over this way cater to the rich families who ski once a year, and they could care less about the little guys who ask prices before buying.

In fact, most the ski shops in Pittsburgh become tennis and patio furniture stores in the summer, making it impossible to even look for off season deals.

exactly. and i've heard so many stories from SBOL customers who started out looking for skiboards in shops only to be looked at like they were crazy and then attempted to be talked out of having anything to do with them.

g

[DennisEvans]

or... if your local shop gives you shitty service, rags on you for fruit booting, and jacks up the price on everything to take advantage of the moms buying kids things for christmas... then definately do that.

I've only been to one ski shop that I haven't wanted to be shut down...

You gotta consider if their service is worth the some times several hundred dolars in price diference...

There are two here and apparently Ohio is the larges skiboarding area in the USA don't know how I rarely see any others. When I go in to my local shops one is owned by an old man that wants me to buy twins but he doesn't understand what skiboards are but if you say snowblades he gets it. I am taking in my summits and going to try to get my him to buy some r8s and sell there. I have never had too bad of service in my area but up north I had some bad service and never bought anything from them.

[mahatma]

I've forgotten what bad customer service is like. Here, service at 7-11 is world class. The closest sports shop here is just about 10 minutes from me and it's name is Sports Depo. Last year at the beginning of the season I took my boards in to have the bases and edges checked, etc. and I didn't understand some of the kanji on the price list and had to ask for it to be spoken to me. When I went back to pick up my boards a week later they handed me a new price list written in both English and Japanese. The English wasn't perfect but you certainly understood what was being offered, what it cost and how long it would take. That list is now exactly what is out this year. That my friends is superior customer service and that is where I got my liners from this season, where we purchase all sports items, shoes and what have you for our kids, our hiking boots and little camping things, etc.. If a store loses you due to less than stellar customer service do not feel bad. However, if they are a righteous shop then you should be a righteous customer.

[SkaFreak]

Yeah, I think it might be the east coast v. west coast mentality... Most the ski shops I see over this way cater to the rich families who ski once a year, and they could care less about the little guys who ask prices before buying.

In fact, most the ski shops in Pittsburgh become tennis and patio furniture stores in the summer, making it impossible to even look for off season deals.

Understandable. Most of the local shops out here switch over to mountain biking, camping, rock climbing, etc. over the winter because they are run by the people who enjoy it. I have run into a few shops out here that didn't have the best customer service, but generally it is the larger chain stores. Just as an example, after I bought my Deeluxe boots from Greco, only one place in town had the oven to mold the liners. I went in expecting to pay around $20 to have them molded, but the bootfitter decided to do it for free and I ended sitting there having a nice long talk about the times he had gotten to ride with Glen Plake and a few other big names when he worked at a shop in Utah while the boots were heated and then fit.

[kirk]

Understandable. Most of the local shops out here switch over to mountain biking, camping, rock climbing, etc. over the winter because they are run by the people who enjoy it.



Yeah, that kind of thing is sweet. The first time I saw skiboards was actually at a skateshop/skatepark that carried snow stuff too in the winter. I don't know if its true, but they claimed to be "the nations oldest indoor skatepark," and they had been there since the 80s. Unfortunately, the owner moved and sold it about the same time I went to college, and within a year it had shut down.

[Mark]

sorry ska, but i did that exact thing a few times. I got fitted and then promptly walked out. I found it hard to justify spending 389.99 on a pair of boots that i later found online for 79.00

I did, however, buy my kryptons at the butternut ski shop, receiving a discount since i had a season pass, so that went extremely well. ski shops generally have at least a 100% market around here. ive never paid full price for any ski gear, ever. I understand your position, but i think they receive plenty of revenue from soccer moms buying their precious first-born's a brand new snowboard each year. as well as a new pair of oakley wisdom goggles with nothing less then a fire iridium lens, as well at the latest style of XXXXL pants. there's baggy and then there is POTATO SACK pants. ok i made that up.





" skiboards ? you mean a snowboard right? "

:rolleyes:

[SkaFreak]

Mark, just out of curiousity did you try asking the shop to match the price you could get it for elsewhere? From the sounds of it, the shops out there are a little different from the shops around here, but I know a few stores out here would try to match the price if they could. When I bought my Rampages, I went to my local store looking for a pair. The day before they had found a pair of the previous years model in a salomon box, and in just my size. They already had a sale going, so they knocked the marked price of $350 down to $300 and then were going to add in the 20% off sale that was going on. The fitter walked to the cashier with me, told her what to do for the price, and when she rang them up it came down even more to $200. The fitter get a confused look on his face on why they came up so cheap then shrugs and tells me to take them, run, and don't look back. All this was after about a half hour of talking to him about skiboards while we were molding the liners and such. I understand not supporting a shop if they don't support the locals regardless of the plank/s they're on, but as I said, I guess my local shops just have good customer service and a more open view.

[tyberesk]

as well at the latest style of XXXXL pants. there's baggy and then there is POTATO SACK pants. ok i made that up.





Salomon G Suit - costin around 600-700 for coat/pants all for xxxl steeze

http://media.newschoolers.com/uploads/cache/images/1222483043-632898-600x800-1222482987P1030394.JPG]

[DennisEvans]

" skiboards ? you mean a snowboard right? "

I took my summits in to my local shop today and showed the guy and he said, "Oh those are blades..." I was less than happy not being able to convince him of the differances